Professional and sought-after interpreter Livia Cais has been a volunteer interpreter for Children’s HeartLink in Brazil since 2008. She is equally at home interpreting in the operating room and ICU as for a crowd at a full stadium, for events as diverse as World Cup Soccer matches and large gatherings with motivational speakers. Her simultaneous … Continued
Janushika with her parents During the COVID-19 pandemic and a full lockdown in India in April, a baby girl named Janushika was born and underwent a rare and challenging open heart surgery. At the time of surgery, she was just 8 days old and weighed only 2.2 kilograms (4.8 pounds). She had to be … Continued
The day a family finally brings their child home from the hospital is life-changing. After a stressful journey, the entire family feels a barrage of emotions: relief, excitement, joy and happiness. These photos by Scott Streble were taken before the pandemic, during team training at our partner hospital in Coimbatore, India (G. Kuppuswamy Naidu Memorial [GKNM] Hospital). Since … Continued
Head nurse Mai Huong Tran from National Children’s Hospital in Hanoi balances her primary tasks of caring for young patients, managing and educating nurses, and her passion for supporting parents after they bring their children home after surgery. 2020: The Year of the Nurse is significantly more challenging for essential health workers like Mai because of the … Continued
Ruth Ngwaro, an advocate for patients with heart disease, receiving a certificate from the Noncommunicable Disease Alliance of Kenya Born with a congenital heart defect, Ruth Ngwaro, now 31, has had four open heart surgeries since the age of 3. Her most recent operation was on World Heart Day (September 29), 2020. At the age … Continued
One of the first cardiac nurses in Minnesota, Karen Stombaugh began her career in the late 1960s. She remembers her first job in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as “very nerve-wracking.” Among her patients were adults who underwent open heart surgeries that had become broadly successful only a few years prior. Karen made an impact in … Continued
We’re delighted to welcome three new members to our Board of Directors: Anu Codaty, Jeffrey Gleason and Darren Nauss, along with Nick Seddon, new to our International Advisory Board. Anu Codaty is General Manager of International Pain Therapies Business and Vice President, Business Development and Strategy for All Neuromodulation Strategies at Medtronic. Anu is a … Continued
Thank you to the 53 partner site physicians and 22 medical volunteer physicians who participated in our online survey in June and July 2020. The survey was taken to assess partner and volunteer current use, needs and preferences for remote technology for training purposes. Respondents were selected based on their knowledge of Children’s HeartLink and … Continued
The 2020 Children’s HeartLink Founders Award goes to Sandra Staveski PhD, RN, CPNP-AC, from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). She will be honored at our virtual gala on October 23rd. Dr. Staveski has been a Children’s HeartLink medical volunteer for over 15 years. This annual award was established in 2019 in honor of … Continued
The Medtronic Foundation is supporting the development of the Children’s HeartLink remote training plan through its Virtual Global Innovation Fellows Program. The six-person team from Medtronic is comprised of senior managers skilled in quality improvement, global training and education, global leadership development, clinical research, and engineering. In consultation with Children’s HeartLink staff, partners, volunteers and stakeholders, they … Continued
